A spectacular compilation of Virgil van Dijk playing for Southampton shows he was an elite defender before joining Liverpool.
Van Dijk spent two-and-a-half-years at Southampton and starred before earning his big-money move to Anfield in January 2018.
He was snapped up from Celtic and showed his worth in the Premier League, producing stellar outings at the back.
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A video of the Dutch international during his Southampton days brilliantly proves he was a world-class performer prior to signing for Liverpool.
The stunning clip shows his ability to defend, his incredible distribution and football IQ.
Not to mention his composure and calmness on the ball. Van Dijk had it all whilst plying his trade for the Saint Mary's outfit.
Twitter user @CF_Compss shared a compilation on social media, accompanied with the caption: "Virgil van Dijk - Southampton Days. Apparently he’s only been good since 2019."
Fans online loved the Southampton version of Van Dijk.
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One Twitter user wrote: "He was the best Center half in the league while at Southampton that’s why we paid £75m for him."
A second tweeted: "He was the best CB in the world all along and nobody even knew it."
A third added: "Makes me laugh people actually believe we spent 75m on some average CB then suddenly he became good."
A fourth commented: "He’s been the best in the league since 2016."
Van Dijk finished the 2016/17 campaign at Southampton - but spent just six months more at the club before penning a deal with Liverpool.
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They splashed out a massive £75 million to acquire his services, with the star player going onto become one of the best defenders in world football.
He's helped the Reds to Premier League and Champions League glory, fully justifying the club's decision to spend big.
Featured Image Credit: Premier League/via TwitterTopics: Virgil Van Dijk, Liverpool, Football, Southampton